


Underage Drinking

by BlitheFool



Category: X-Force (Comics)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-17 11:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1386070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlitheFool/pseuds/BlitheFool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shatterstar and Rictor- late nights on the couch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underage Drinking

It’s late and Shatterstar’s not sure how long they’ve been sitting here on the couch in the make-shift livingroom in the Murderworld base. Earth television is so fascinating, he tends to lose track of time. It’s so different from the vids on Mojoworld. He doesn’t understand all of it. Julio explained that when someone dies in an Earth vid, it’s not real- that they are merely play-acting. This was not the case on his home world. 

Beside him Julio is eating nachos and drinking. Julio says the Murderworld is like prison and that Lord Cable is their jailor. But Shatterstar spent most of his life in slave pens and there are no couches there and there are certainly no nachos. 

Tonight Julio may be a little drunk, if the ever growing pile of beer bottles is any indication. He is also sitting very close to Shatterstar. He does this sometimes when he drinks. ‘Star can feel the heat from Julio’s skin where their thighs are touching. He pretends not to notice.

‘Julio?’

‘Hm?’ 

‘Perhaps you should not drink _all_ of Lord Cable’s beer?’

‘Lord Ca-oh.’, Julio looks momentarily puzzled and regards the drink in his hand. ‘ Er, actually, I think this belongs to Dom.’ , He takes another lazy swig from the bottle.

‘That is even less advisable.’

‘It’s fine, man. They already hate me. How much worse could it be?’

Julio looks morose. Shatterstar wonders if it really bothers him. He often pretends not to care. Julio is very concerned with being ‘macho’- a concept with which Shatterstar is completely unfamiliar. 

‘I do not think they hate you, Julio.’

‘Well, I’m not exactly their perfect little soldier either.’

‘Your fighting skills are…admirable.’

‘Star, you’re a terrible liar. I appreciate the thought though.’ 

Julio gently squeezes his shoulder. He understands the gesture is one of comradery but it makes his stomach feel strange. He focuses on the television.

‘I am not lying.’ Julio is turned towards him now. He can feel the whisper of his breath on his face, ’But you do require more training.’

‘Whatever.’, he huffs, turning away. Shatterstar hears the pop of another bottle opening ‘ You know, ‘Star, maybe you should try some. It might loosen you up a bit.’

‘Loosen up? I do not understand your reference. My muscles are relaxed.’

Julio sighs, ’Not- ugh. It means have some fun, amigo.’

_Fun._

‘I find television enjoyable. And alcohol has no effect on me. My healing factor metabolizes it too quickly.’

Julio regards him quizzically, ‘Wait, wait. When did _you_ drink?’

‘ With Teresa. We did something called ‘shots’. They do not taste very good. They also seem to lower ones inhibitions somewhat. Teresa is overly friendly while intoxicated.’

‘Dude! Was Terry hitting on you?’ 

‘Hitting on? No. She did not attempt to strike me, though she did invite me to her quarters.’

‘ I can’t even process this.’, Julio is holding his temples. He looks vaguely concerned, ‘I mean did you- did you go to her room?’

‘No. Why would I?’ It had seemed an odd request to Shatterstar. Their rooms were all so similar- what could possibly be the point? 

Julio lets out a breath that Shatterstar didn’t know he was holding, ‘That’s good, man. You shouldn’t, you know, take advantage of a woman when she’s drunk. Only assholes do that.’

‘I do not follow your narrative. What was Teresa suggesting?’

‘She wanted to sleep with you.’

‘Sleep?’

_‘Sex.’_

‘Oh.’

Julio leans back on the couch and takes another swig from his bottle, ‘You’re a regular party animal, ‘Star. ‘

‘Hm.’

‘ Are you…interested in her?’, Julio is studying him now. His expression is strange- unreadable. 

‘Teresa? She is pleasant enough.’

‘Well sure,’, Julio flaps his hand as if he’s dismissing someone, ‘but would you, _you know?_ ’

Julio stares at him in anticipation. Humans are baffling creatures. ‘Are we talking about sex again?’

‘Dios! It’s like pulling teeth with you. Yes! We’re talking about sex again!’

‘ I am not interested in Teresa in that way.’

‘ You don’t think she’s hot?’

‘ I fail to see what her temperature has to do with anything.’

‘ I- ‘, Julio pauses and rakes his hand over his face, ‘I am _way_ too drunk to even deal with this right now.’

Julio turns away again, drawing his legs up to his chest. He wonders silently if he’s offended him in some way. He does not understand Earth culture. For a while there is only the sound of the television and of Julio sipping his stolen beer and crunching through nachos. 

‘Um, hey, ‘Star?’

‘Hm?’

‘Uh, is there anybody you _are_ interested in? I mean, in _that_ way?’,Julio’s eyes flit from Shatterstar back to the television screen. He is forcing nonchalance but Shatterstar senses that this question is somehow important to his friend. 

In the Mojoverse there was no time for what humans refer to as relationships. He did not form bonds with his fellow slaves as friendship equaled weakness in the arena. He was now 18 in Earth years- a miraculous achievement- but he knew little else beyond the battlefield. 

He studies Julio now, who is all lean muscle and nut brown skin. His dark eyes are trained on the TV set but he knows he’s watching. He has often felt something between them, a stirring that he’d never experienced with anyone else. Sometimes he thinks Julio can sense it too. 

‘I care for _you_ , Julio.’, he ventures, uncertain. 

For a moment Julio is perfectly still. Shatterstar suddenly wishes he could take it all back. What if it was the wrong thing to say? Perhaps he’d misinterpreted? He should have stayed silent. He should have-

Julio’s lips are warm and wet and taste faintly of beer. Julio’s hands, much calloused from battle, are on either side of his face gently holding him. They’re trembling. Shatterstar has never been kissed before. It is nothing like television. 

_It is much, much better._

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as just a bunch of banter I was going to turn into a fan comic. I'm not sure at what point it became more than that. I still feels like only part of a story to me, but this is the point where my brain just stopped working.


End file.
